Too Little, Too Late
by Destiny3576
Summary: Set a few months after Edward and his family leave Forks... What happens when Edward returns to beg for Bells to give him another chance, and find she's moved on... with his brother? Sorry for bad summary skills .
1. Moving On

Sooo, I decided to start an actual fanfiction. Like, with chapters and a story line and stuff. But don't worry, it'll still be lemony goodness later on ;) Haha, let me know what you think? Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own this because Stephanie Meyer is clearly 110% more amazing and creative than I am

What happens when Edward comes back and find that Bella has moved on... with his brother?

_"You're not good for me, Bella." He turned his earlier words around, and so I had no argument. How well I knew that I wasn't good enough for him._

_I opened my mouth to say something, and then closed it again. He waited patiently, his face wiped clean of all emotion. I tried again._

_"If… that's what you want." He nodded once._

_My whole body went numb. I couldn't feel anything below the neck._

_"I would like to ask one favor, though, if that's not too much," he said._

_I wonder what he saw on my face, because something flickered across his own face in response. But, before I could identify it, he'd composed his features into the same serene mask._

_"Anything," I vowed, my voice faintly stronger._

_As I watched, his frozen eyes melted. The gold became liquid again, molten, burning down into mine with an intensity that was overwhelming._

_"Don't do anything reckless or stupid," he ordered, no longer detached. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"_

_I nodded helplessly._

_His eyes cooled, the distance returned. "I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. He needs you. Take care of yourself—for him."_

_I nodded again. "I will," I whispered._

_He seemed to relax just a little._

_"And I'll make you a promise in return," he said. "I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed."_

**BELLA POV**

It has been months since he left. Months since his whole family left. I don't hate them, even after the indescribable amount of pain. How could I, when they gave me the best months I will probably ever have? I can't.

After they left, after _he_ left, I thought I was lost. I thought my life was over. I had planned to end my life early anyways, but this was different. I still had to love. I had to eat and drink and shower and go to school, and do the same things as everyone else. After all, he was right. Charlie needs me. That's not what I had planned. I had planned to become a vampire. To spend the rest of my life with Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie... and Edward. I planned to spend the rest of my very long existence in his cold, diamond hard arms. Kissing his smooth lips.

But that's not what he planned. _You're not good for me_. Those first weeks had been the worst. His words replayed in my head over and over and over again until I wished I couldn't think. The pain was like the vampire bite from James, but a thousand times worse and all over my body.

And then I started hanging out with Jacob Black. My best friend, my brother. We had tried dating, and it was fine for a few months. Around the time of his first phase (into a werewolf, of course) we had started drifting apart. Our kisses were awkward, holding hands was awkward, even his hugs had become weird. So after the movies that night, Jacob had walked me to my door, and we had a short, mature conversation about going back to being just friends.

Jacob filled the hole in my chest, without even knowing it was there. And then he disappeared. Those weeks were almost as bad. I had nightmares all the time, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop them. They went away when I guessed Jacob's curse, and he filled me in on the whole story.

Soon after, I introduced him to Angela, my only real friend at Forks High School. He immediately imprinted on her. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Watching two people fall in love was like watching fireworks, and a slow rolling fire, and a thousand blooming flowers all at once. Soon afterwords, he and Sam took her to the side, sat her down, and explained everything to her. At first she laughed, but then Paul came up behind them in the woods, in wolf mode, and she almost had a panic attack. Soon afterwords, though, she accepted it, and her and Jacob started dating. She's been very understanding about my friendship with Jake. She knows that even if we hold hands, or hug longer than friends should, we mean nothing by it.

Now, I'm happy. I have Jake, and the pack, and Angela, and Charlie. I can visit my mom in Jacksonville. I'm friends with Mike Newton, and Tyler Crowly, and even Chess Club Erik. I'm getting good grades in high school, and I have a life. I go out with my friends, and I do fun, reckless things, while still remaining safe. I always know that Jacob will save me if I need it.

Like today. Here I stand, at the very top of the cliff. I stare over the edge, mortified by the distance and the deep water below. I've never jumped off of the top before. I know it will feel amazing. Like freedom, and happiness, and joy. But I also know it will be terrifying. I don't know if I have the nerve to do it. But I know he will be there to save me.

"C'mon, Bells!" I hear Jake yell teasingly from behind me.

"Yeah Bella, let's go!" Sam laughs beside him.

Angela's small voice rises over the booming yells and encouragements of the boys, "Oh, leave her be. Do you remember what your first time was like? I bet you all squealed like like little girls." I grin at her over my shoulder.

"Thanks, Ang."

"Any time." She smiles warmly, and steps up next to me. Her slender fingers lace through mine. "Together?" she asks, though she already knows the answer. This is her first time, too.

"Of course."

Suddenly a very warm hand pulls mine away from Angela's and replaces it. I look over to see Jake standing between us. I notice he is also holding her hand.

"If I don't go too, you guys are either gonna drown, or not do it at all. So let's go." He pulls us closer to the edge. I feel the end of the rock and dirt in the middle of my big toe.

"On three," he says.

I can hear every drop of the excitement in his voice.

"One."

My heart pound in my ears, and I can barely breath.

"Two."

My palms sweat into Jacobs. I hold tighter as the wind shifts. It presses into my back lightly, encouraging me to plunge to my cold, wet death.

"Three."

I bend my quivering knees, and jump.

For a brief second, I feel suspended in the air. I stare out over the treetops. It's a rare warm day on the reservation, but I can see the clouds creeping over from a few towns over. I see the sun, only half-way visible over the water it makes it's way around the Earth. Suddenly I wish I had the photographic memory of a vampire. The longing in my chest is so intense it hurts.

Then I fall.

A scream rips out of my throat as I plunge through the air. My hand slips out of Jakes as I straighten myself, preparing for the hard surface of the water. The water is cold as it splashes around my body. All three of us dive in at the same time, and I imagine the water rises high into the air, especially around Jacob, who I saw curl into a cannonball as he hit the water.

I stay under for a few seconds, and watch Jake swim back to the top. The muscles in his arms and legs flex as he pushes against the current. I'm reminded again how beautiful my best friend is. I smile, and push my way to the top. I take a deep breath, and laugh shakily, exhilarated.

Angela's head pops up next to mine, and she grins. "That was fucking amazing!" Jake and I stare at her incredulously. Innocent little Angela, swearing? It's a very new thing. All three of us burst out laughing, and start wading our way towards the beach. We hear deep shouts of excitement as the rest of the pack jump down, but we don't turn to look. The three of us have seen them jump enough times to know exactly what we would see.

When we finally step onto the beach, I shiver. The small black bikini doesn't cover enough skin to keep me warm. I only chose it because Angela recommended it. She's a lot like Alice when it comes to the fashion type stuff. My chest hurts with unbearable familiarity at the thought.

I push all thought of vampires and fashion and sisters out of my mind as Emily hold a towel out towards me. I smile and thank her. Sam's wife always waits for us on the beach during days like these. She's always been terrified of highs, so instead she stays on the beach, builds a big bonfire, and sets up a huge picnic. Six werewolves and three girls take a lot of food.

The rest of the night is spent laughing and eating. At one point a few other teenagers from the res show up, and one brings a guitar. Eventually it turns into a small party. I spend most of the evening curled into the side of one werewolf or another, but eventually the music gets to me. I feel the deep, upbeat sound in my chest, and toes, and fingertips. Suddenly I can't sit still.

I move so that I'm on my knees in front of Jacob.

"Come dance with me." I request.

"What?" His eyes grow wide. "You hate dancing. You're afraid of tripping, and embarrassing yourself." He's absolutely sure of himself. It's not a question, it's a statement. His brows are pushed together, showing his confusion plainly.

I shrug. "I know you'll catch me if I fall, and I'll probably never see any of these people again, so why should I care what they think of me?" Jake's expression softens, and his smile widens. The contrast between his white teeth and russet colored skin would be shocking, if I hadn't seen it so many times.

"You've changed so much since-" He stops, frozen. He chew his lower lip, obviously wondering how to not hurt me.

"Since Edward left," I finish in a whisper. Worry is plain on his features. His eyes search mine, though I'm not sure what he expects to find. Eventually he nods, seemingly to himself, and jumps to his feet. He glances back at Angela, and when he sees her nod, smiling warmly, he extends one large hand, and raises an eyebrow expectantly. I laugh, and accept his help. He pulls me over to the crowd of dancing Quileute's. I lift our hands above my head, and spin twice, once to the left, and then again to the right. Jake places his hands lightly on my waist, and I place mine on his shoulders. We dance together, laughing and spinning, until the boy with the guitar puts away the beautiful instrument and heads home. I have no idea how long we've been dancing, but I know it's at least been an hour. My bare feet hurt, and the moon is barely peaking up over the trees, surrounded by beautiful twinkling stars.

Almost everyone has left, Angela included. The only people left on the beach are Jake and I, Sam and Emily, and a few of the girls from the reservation. I sigh contently, and stare up at the sky. Watching the moon always makes me feel so small, like everything I've been worried about doesn't matter anymore. My problems are practically non existent when compared to something that big and beautiful.

"Bells?" Jake asks quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Are you..." He hesitates.

"Spit it out, Jake," I say, laughing a little.

"Are you happy? I mean, I know this isn't how you expected things to be at this point in your life. I know I'm not the person you wanted to be spending your time with. I know that nothing is how you wanted it to be. But is this good enough for you? Are you at all happy with the way things are right now?" The more he speaks, the faster his words come, and the faster his words come, the higher my anger rises.

I roll over to face him and hit him in the shoulder. I know it won't hurt him no matter what, so I don't punch him as hard as I can, but it still hurts my fist. "Jacob Black, are you completely stupid?" He stares at me, shocked and confused.

"Of course I'm happy! Look around you, Jake. Take a look at my life right now. For one, I'm alive. I get to eat food. Pie, chocolate, chips, burgers, salads, lasagna, and everything else. And look at all the people I have in my life. You, my amazing best friend; Angela, the best girl friend a person could ask for; the pack, who are all like a second family to me; Charlie and my mom, who I love so much. I don't know why I ever wanted to give all this up. Well, yes I do... Edward. I thought I would love him forever. I thought we would _be together_ forever. I thought he was my life. But he wasn't. He was my death. He would've stolen away everyone I love but his family, and instead he took away only his family. He kept me in a shell. He kept me afraid. He treated me like a child. I didn't see it then, but I do now, and I'm just so angry with him. So, yes, I'm happy. I love that things aren't how I thought they would be." I take a deep breath, and close my eyes. I bite my lower lip hard, holding in a scream of frustration. I hate that he doubts me, after all of the pain I've been through.

"So if they came back for you, you wouldn't change your mind again?" His eyes are guarded. He's hiding something from me. I feel a sharp burst of hope.

_NO!_ My thoughts scream at me. _He doesn't want you anymore. _They_ don't want you anymore. They are not your family. The pack is. Angela is. Charlie and Renee are. Not the Cullens._ I shove the hope into a very small corner of my mind, and avoid it like the plague.

"No," I say firmly." I wouldn't change my mind. I want to stay human. I want to spend my life actually alive, and healthy, and with you and the pack and Ang. I don't want the same things that I used to." His face relaxes, and he sighs. He's obviously relieved. "Why do you ask? I've told you all of that before." I eye him suspiciously.

Jake sits up, and pulls me with him. I give him a stern look. He knows this is my lie-to-me-and-I'll-injure-you-severely look. I obviously couldn't actually hurt him, but the look always works. He fidgets uncomfortably, and runs his fingers through his shaggy black hair. He won't look at my face. His eyes shift between the beach on his left, and the woods on his right. Finally I can't take it anymore.

"Jake! Tell me." I press one hand on each of his face, and turn it so that he has to look at me. "What is going on?"

When his eyes meet mine, they are full of worry and pain. "Sam caught the scent of a vampire last night on patrols. He told me earlier, when we all met up to go cliff diving. I didn't want to have this conversation in front of everyone, especially Ang. But, Bella, this doesn't change..."

I know he's still speaking, but I can't hear him. My mind spins and twirls, making me so dizzy. I feel like I'm going to throw up. I open my mouth to speak, but I can't make any out come out. So instead, I stand up. I know Jacob is confused, and I know this will hurt him, but I have to think. I have to get away. I turn, and stumble away. I don't know how I don't trip. I should. I should've fallen on my face and injured myself, because I can't see the ground. I can't see anything. I'm just walking on instinct. I somehow make my way back to his house, and into my truck. But I'm not in the drivers seat, I'm in the passenger seat. I know someone's in the seat next to me, driving me home, but I don't know who. I know it's a part of the pack, because I can feel the heat in the truck. I can feel the shaking of the seat behind me. Why is he shaking? It's only a momentary distraction, because once again Edward pushes his way into my mind.

_He's back. _I don't know if I should be happy, or mad, or nervous, or excited, or sad. I want to see him, but I don't. I want to scream and laugh and cry.

"Bells? Bella! Isabella Marie Swan, you better answer me!" My head snaps up at the use of my whole name. Charlie. He has the passenger door open and his smooth brown eyes are frantic, his voice panicky.

"I'm ok," I say, but I know he doesn't believe it. My voice shakes, and and tears spill out of my eyes. Surprised, I reach up to touch my cheek. It's already wet. How long have I been crying? It doesn't matter. Charlie is afraid. I wipe my face dry, and smile at him, trying as hard as I can to at least convince him I'm not going back to zombie mode.

I turn to my driver, Paul, and thank him. I laugh a little when he wraps me in a soft and secure hug. I remember being terrified of him, and think it was incredibly silly of me. Paul would never hurt those he loves. He's just a little over-protective.

Soon I find myself sitting criss-cross on one end of Charlies couch while he sat on the chair, staring at me. I can tell he is waiting for the return of the zombie, or a melt down, or something.

"Dad, I'm fine. Well, not fine, but... Okay. I'm okay. So can you stop looking at me like that?" My words come out as a complaint, a little more annoyed then I intend. He smiles.

"Like what?" he asks, faking innocence.

"Like I'm going to explode, or melt, or freeze, or do something equally as freaky." Charlie laughs, and I smile a little along with him._ Bad actor my ass_,I think, remember the time Edward was in my room at night, and told me I couldn't even act like I was alseep.

"Okay, kid, if you're really okay, I'll let you go. But if you need anything, water, food, a gun, a blanket, don't hesitate to ask."

"What was that one in the middle, Dad?"

"Food?"

"Not that one."

"I don't know what you're referring to, Bells," he says, grinning in that evil way only the chief of police can.

"Good night, Dad." I get up and hug him and kiss his cheek, before turning and walking up the stairs.

The second my door closes, the tears fall again. I lean my back heavily against the door. Suddenly I can't think. It's just terrifying, deafening silence, and never-ending tears. I stumble across the bed in the dark, and, of course, trip onto my bed. Soon after my head hits the pillow, I fall asleep.

My dreams that night are terrifying. I sit on the beach at the res, surrounded by the pack, my brothers. Jacob is right in front of me, and in front of him, right at the edge of the woods, is Edward. He looks so pained. I just want to reach out to him, stroke his smooth face, kiss his perfect lips. But every time I move forwards, someone grabs me from behind, holding me in place.

"Edward," I choke out in a whisper.

He steps towards me, out of the forest and into the cloudy light that belongs in Forks. All at once, my overprotective brothers are replaced by gigantic wolves, and they all ran at Edward. He turns and runs into the forest, moving in a blur. A few seconds later, his screams filled the air.

"NO!" I scream as I sit upright in bed, panting and sweating. I look around me at my dark room. Everything is as it was. Nothing has changed. But suddenly I feel so terrified. I roll over, shoving my face into the pillow, and push the thought away. Hours later, I fall asleep again, haunted my the same nightmare over and over.

_He's back_, I think. _Edward is back._ I don't know how I feel about this. I'm very nervous. I want to see him, and at the same time I don't. I'm also _so_ angry. How dare he come back? How dare he put me through that and then just show up unannounced?

And on top of all that, I'm confused. I keep trying to tell myself that I don't love him. That I don't miss him. But every time I picture his beautiful, perfect face, my heart beats faster, and my palms steart so sweat with nervous excitement.

Especially now. Especially here. I lay stretched out uncomfortably in the center of the meadow, _his_ meadow, eyes closed and sleeves rolled up as high as they go. Today is the second warm day in a row, an extreme rarity in Forks.

I groan, frustrated that I can't enjoy the sunlight. My thoughts are spinning, swirling like a whirlpool. I roll over, and open my eyes-

And I scream.

A cold, smooth hand covers my mouth, and golden eyes widen in shock. But they aren't the eyes I was expecting. These eyes are harder, more thoughtful and calculating. They look as though they see everything, good and bad, light and dark, important and insignificant, and take it all consideration when planning even the smallest of things. Wavy blond hair frames his square jaw, and when I look closer, I see small, half-moon shaped scars on his neck.

"Afternoon, darlin'," he says in his thick southern accent as his hand moves away from my lips.

"Jasper?"

Sooo... Yup. There it is. The first chapter. Let me know what you think please! I'm really nervous about this . Thanks if you read it all the way through and didn't want to stab me in the eye because of horrible writing, haha


	2. The Truth Is

Hey guys! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long, I didn't have internet for most of the past few weeks, I was sick, and I had a serious case of writers block. But I hope it's worth the wait! This whole writing from a guy's pov is a new thing for me, so I have no idea if it's good or not. I certainly hope it was worth the wait! :D

**Jasper POV**

Today is the day I come back. After almost 6 months of pain and heartbreak, how will she welcome me? Will she be afraid? Will she hate me? Will she be happy to see me because I have news of _him_? Or will she simply be happy to see me? Will we become friends, or-

_No. _My thoughts come to a screeching halt. What am I thinking? Friends with the human girl I tried to kill? Hah! She probably resents me for being the reason the love of her life, and my former adoptive brother, left her.

And on top of that, why would I even want to be her friend? She's just a girl. A stupid and dull human. But even as I think the words, I don't believe them. For a human, she's exceptionally smart and exciting. I can't figure out why, but the thought of seeing her makes me nervous. Maybe it's because I know she will be upset after I say what I came to say.

"Excuse me sir, but you have to order, or we have to ask you to leave." A sad voice cuts through my thoughts. I glance up at a cute but obviously depressed waitress.

"Sure, no problem. I'd just like a cup of coffee, please," I say quietly, smiling. I send her a few small waves of calm and happiness.

She grins back at me. "Sure thing!" As she walks back to the counter of the small coffee shop, she whistles an upbeat tune that makes her feel happy and proud.

I sigh happily, amazed once again, by how much I have changed in the last 6 months.

She comes back a few minutes later with a foul smelling cup that has the name "Amanda" and seven digits written on it in thick sharpie.

"Thank you, Amanda." She doesn't know that I'm not thanking her for the drink. I'm thanking her for not giving me the urge to kill her.

"No problem. Feel free to call me any time." She winks one overly colorful eyelid. I smile widely, but don't reply.

A few hours later, I find myself wandering through the woods just outside of Forks. The sun is out, though there are a few clouds in the sky. I can hear the sounds of birds and squirrels and deer in the trees around me, but I know they won't come close. So I stalk them, instead.

Eventually I come to a small clearing, where a single young doe grazes. There is a limp in her step, so I know she would never get away in time. I inhale deeply. Her scent is good, but not great. Pleasing, but not exciting. This is the biggest of many downsides to a vegetarian diet.

I lean down into a crouch as it comes closer, completely unaware of the danger. I am completely focused. This animal is my lifeline. It takes another step towards me, and I jump. The second I land on it, it falls to the ground. I sink my teeth into it's throat before it has a chance to fight back, letting its smooth blood flow down my throat. I cringe when I feels it's pain, and once again curse my "gift."

When I drain the last drop if blood and the deer is dead, I stand and wipe my mouth, removing all traces of it.

As I move deeper into the forest, I become aware of a very familiar smell. Human. There's a touch of strawberries. Bella? I move faster towards the smell until I reach another clearing. This one is perfectly circular, and filled with beautiful flowers.

And there she is. Bella. She lays in the middle of the clearing, eyes closed, beautiful brown and red hair spread around her. She's frowning her small hands are curling into fists over and over. She doesn't seem to realize she's doing it. I move towards her, slowly so that I don't make any noises to alert her of my presence, and lay down on my side next to her. Suddenly I wonder how I ever missed this much beauty. How did I not notice how even when she's frowning, she's almost perfect? Suddenly I want to know what she's upset about.

Her eyes open and she rolls onto her side, facing me. The second she sees me, she screams. I quickly cover her mouth, my hopes dashed. _She's terrified of me. _

When she finally calms down, I see a flash of recognition in her eyes, and I feel relief and happiness in her emotions. I remove my hand from her lips. I immediately miss the warmth of her breath on my cold skin.

"Jasper?" I force a smile onto my face, despite the spiraling inside me. I had lost my entire family, decided to come here, of all places, just to see this girl, and she screams at the sight of me. Serves me right, I suppose, after what I did to her. She lost an entire family because of me, so I deserve the same cruel fate.

"Afternoon darlin'," I greet her.

Bella sits up, still staring at me. Her emotions are a sea of surprise, fear, and happiness. Her hands curl into little fists in her lap, but not before I see them shaking. I don't know which of her emotions causes this, but it makes me nervous. "What are you doing here? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy you're here. It's just such a surprise. They warned me someone would be back, I just thought it would be-" She stops suddenly. "Not you. I thought it would be not you."

"You thought it would be Edward?" I can't keep the sadness out of my voice, and I see the curiosity in her eyes that lets me know she heard it.

She nods. "Is he back?"

"No, but he is the reason I'm here. I have news of him." I can't stop the disgusted look on my face. But after what he's done, I have every right to be disgusted.

"What news?" she asks frantically, he worry pressing against me, threatening to overwhelm me. "Is he okay?"

"Don't worry, he's fine. He's just... done something stupid." My fists clench around fistfuls of grass as I remember the latest drawing of Alice's visions.

_A large crowd of dark cloaks. Underneath the hoods, dark glaring red eyes peer out at the world. In the front, four of the people lifted the hoods away from their faces. On the left and right were the very bored looking Marcus, and his cruel looking brother, Caius. In the center stood Aro, with his childish smile and milky red eyes. And beside him stood Edward. Though he is almost 100 years old, Edward is but an infant to the Volturi. Yet they allow him to stand at the front with the oldest members. This shows that he is trusted above the entire guard, and has proven himself to them in ways nobody else has. _

_The entirety of the Volturi glide through the forest, but where they were is impossible to know. The snow on the ground was fresh and undisturbed, and through a space in the trees, you can see a beautiful full moon. Even in a picture, the scene is terrifying._

"No," Bella whispers. "He wouldn't. He... How could he do something like that?"

"I don't know. But the whole family is in a fit about it. They're all acting like he's dead or something, and they say that his last wish was to keep his promise to you, so that's what they're doing. They're 'making it seem as if he never existed,'" My teeth grind together. "I think it's bull shit, excuse my language. I told them, you deserve to know. But hey wouldn't listen. 'it's not what Edward would've wanted,' they say. Well who cares what Edward would want? _He left them._ And they're still bending over backwards to make him happy. Why would they-" I stop suddenly when I feel a warm, soft hand cover my clenched one. I stare down at our hands, shocked. _She's holding my hand._

"Shh, Jasper. Deep breath, okay?" I do as she asks. "Thank you for telling me. But I know that's not the only reason you came." She boldly looks me in the eyes. What happened to the clumsy, shy girl we left six months ago? I let go of the grass, and hold her hand in mine, careful not to break it.

"What do you mean?" I ask slowly. She has no way of knowing. She has had no contact with my family, aside from me, since we moved.

"You could've called me, or sent me an email, or even a letter. Nobody puts this much effort into telling their brothers ex-girlfriend that he's turned evil." I see the brave face she puts on, but it doesn't fool me. I also feel her sadness and anger as she says it. I know this isn't as easy for her as she's making it look.

I sighs. I know she deserves to know the other reason, but I don't want to tell her. Don't want to bring it up. Don't want to remind her of her fears. But I have to say it. "You're right. I came here to apologize."

"For what?" she asks. I know she already knows.

"For trying to kill you 6 months ago." She flinches away from me as I remind her of everything that I did. "I am so ashamed of that. I can't imagine what you must think of me. I am truly sorry for what I've done to you, and all the consequences for my actions, and I hope that one day I can make it up to you."

She holds my hand tighter, and her sadness grows into an incredible void that threatens to swallow me whole. "It's okay, Jasper. Really, I don't blame you, and I never have. And I'm okay now, really."

"Liar," I whisper, desperate to keep my voice even, to not show that her emotions are effecting me.

"What?" she questions, completely confused. Then her eyes widen as she remembers my power. "Oh, right. I'm sorry for lying."

"It's okay. It's your survival instinct. And besides, I wouldn't have even been able to tell if I wasn't feeling so depressed all of a sudden. Would you like me to cheer you up?"

"If it'll help you." I roll my eyes, but do as she says. Suddenly the wind shifts, and I notice a new smell. Somewhere between her mouth-watering blood, and the scent of her strawberry shampoo, a new odor becomes known.

"Bella, what's that smell?" I ask, taking a deep breath through my nose. "You kind of smell like wet dog. You don't have a dog, do you? Alice would've seen that, I think." I see her flinch at Alice's name, and immediately regret bringing it up.

"Why would Alice have seen me? Was she watching?" Her hurt and confusion was obvious in bother her voice and emotions. She slips her hand out my own and wraps her arms around her torso.

I hesitate to tell her the truth. I know it will only upset her more. But I can't make myself lie to her, either. I look down at my hands in my lap, watch as the sun reflects off my skin in a way that would fascinate me if I was a human. "Yes," I mumble.

"Yes what, Jasper?" she demands, getting angrier with each passing second.

I look up at her, my eyes full of sorrow and regret. "Yes, Alice was watching you. Edward told her not to, but she wanted to keep and eye on you. She wanted to make sure you were okay. She even kept something of a diary. She filled it with sketches and descriptions of how you were and what you did every day."

Bella holds perfectly still, aside from the shaking in her hands. I see a storm brewing in her hard, chocolatey eyes. "She _knew_? You all _knew_?" she asks, deadly quiet. I open my mouth to respond, to sooth her, to distract her, anything to keep her from the hurt that I know is threatening to boil over into tears, but she's already moved on, her voice raising as she rants in a way I never expected. "How could she? How could she watch me suffer like that, and then just do _nothing_? How could she let me hurt Charlie, and Renee, and my friends? And the emails! She knew about the emails, and she didn't even have the decency to send me one with her real address! And YOU! You and the rest of your family knew as well! There are no secrets in that damn house. You all knew, and you all did nothing. You saw me in pain, saw me crying and screaming night after night, saw me spiraling into a deep depression, and none of you came! I needed you and you stayed away! I can't believe you!" She stands as the tears finally come, sliding down her face, breaking my heart with each one. Leaving me to wonder once again why this simple and extraordinary human has so much control over me.

I want nothing more than to calm her down. Remove her sadness and fury. Make her forget her pain. Make her smile. But I know I can't. I have to let her get her anger out, or it will still be there when she's alone. I have to let her have her own, honest feelings. So instead I sit before her and endure her pain, each second of it making me more and more miserable.

"I thought someone in that family would've cared enough. I thought we were like family." She's whispering now, pain dripping from every syllable. "I know not everyone liked me, or even approved of me, but I still thought..." She turns away from me as silent sobs rack through her body.

In a flash I'm standing behind her. Before I can talk myself out of it, I rest my hand lightly on her shoulder. At first she shies away from me, uncertain and no longer used to the ice-cold touch of my kind. "Bella, I'm so sorry," I whisper.

Suddenly she turns towards me and presses her face to my chest. I slowly wrap my arms around her, hesitant to see how she'll react. This time she relaxes under my touch. I rub small circles on her back, waiting for her to let it all out. I don't know how long we stand there, but by the time her heart and emotions calm, the sun is setting.

She looks up at me, puffy eyes, tear streaked face, and the only this I notice is the way she stares at me. Her eyes like liquid chocolate, and I'm drowning. Is this what _he_ felt like, looking into them? Somehow, I doubt it.

"Jasper?" she whispers as I wipe the tears from her face softly.

"Yes, darlin'?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing, honey. Nothing. It's them. They don't understand how much they hurt you."

"And you do? I mean, aside from the emotion feeling thing."

"Yes, I do." I admit. "I left them. I knew it was wrong, I knew that it was none of her business. That she didn't have the right to spy on you and not help you. But no matter what I said, or did, she wouldn't change her mind. She kept doing it, and stayed away. Even the first time she saw you jump, and didn't see you come back up. Even when she thought you were dead, she stayed away. And then the next vision came, and she assumed she just wasn't paying close enough attention. Still, she kept going. So I left. I was disgusted with every part of my family, so I left them. I now go by Jasper Whitlock, the name I carried before I was changed."

"For me?" she asks, still whispering. I see tears in her eyes again, but I know they're not tears of sadness this time.

I nod. "Mostly, yes."

Her hand comes up to cup the side of my face, and without meaning to, I lean into her warm touch. She stretches towards me on her tip toes, staring deep into my eyes. I can't tell what she's feeling, it's too confusing. She's nervous and confused, and still a little sad and angry. But as she closes her eyes, and puckers her lips, I know I can't kiss her while she's like this. I put my hands on her shoulders, gently stopping her in her place. Her eyes fly open, and she freezes.

"I... I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." A mixture of hurt and anger and confusion build up inside her. She turns, and runs into the forest.

"Bella!" I call, but it's too late, she can't hear me. Probably wouldn't come back even if she did. I know from Alice's visions that she's been out here enough times to find her way back without difficulty, so I let her go. My eyes wander to the ground in front of me, and I notice a set of silver keys laying on the ground.

_Of course she left them_, I think, chuckling a little. I pick them up and slide them into my pocket, making a mental note to return them to her tomorrow.

When the sound of her running fades out of my hearing range, I turn and make my way back to the vacant Cullen house. I unlock the front door, and sigh sadly. The only piece of furniture in the front room is the grand piano. It's dusty and unused, but still grand. I decide to clean it off before I get what I came for. Even if they are no longer my family, I can't leave such a beautiful instrument in such sad condition. I flash to the kitchen and back, duster in hand, and slowly take care of the piano.

When I finish, I put the cleaning supplies away and head upstairs and pack what remains of my things into a large suitcase. I pull a family picture off the bedside table, and place that in the top pocket, and then I leave, hopefully forever. When I finish packing, I lock up again, and run back up the long drive and down the road, further into the forest. I don't look back.

The next morning I stand in front of Bella's door, wondering if I should knock, or not. Wondering if she's busy today. Wondering if 10 in the morning is too early. Wondering if she even wants to see me. Wondering about yesterday, if she was thinking of _him_ when she tried to kiss me. But most of all, wondering why she makes me so nervous.

I knock three times, hoping it wasn't too loud, or too quiet. Soon I hear footsteps on the other side of the door, and Bella speaking to someone. Immediately I regret coming. I'm obviously interrupting something.

"No, Mike, I didn't leave them with Jake... No, none of his friend stole them... Why do you always assume they're to blame for my issues? They're not even here anymore, how could they possibly-" She stops mid-sentence when she opens the door and sees me standing on her front porch.

"_Bella? Bella are you still there?"_ Mike Newton's voice says from the other end of the phone.

"What? Yeah, I'm here. Look, Just put your mom on the phone." She waves me inside, shooting me an apologetic glance. I step inside, and follow her to the living room, where she collapses cross-legged onto the couch. I sit beside her, prepared to wait politely for her phone call to be over. "Mrs. Newton? Yes, it's Bella... Yes, that's right, I lost my truck keys. Well, all my keys really, but those are the most important... Yes, I suppose he could come pick me up, but I would really rather not deal with him right now... Yeah, he's being pretty obnoxious today."

"Bella," I whisper. She looks up at me and mouths "_What?"_ I pull her keys out of my pocket and hold them up between us. "I found your keys yesterday after you left the clearing."

"Oh, thanks! Never mind, Mrs. Newton, turns out I can make it after all... No, a friend of them found them, and he's just came by to return them." My heart soars at the word _friend_. Is that what we are? Friends? I hope so. "Yes, thank you very much for your time. I'll see you in an hour... No, I'll handle Mike when I get down there. But thank you, again... Yep, see you later."

She hangs up the phone, throws it onto the couch beside her, and then launches herself into my arms. I freeze, completely unprepared for this. She's hugging me. Yesterday, I understood why. She was sad, she needed comfort. But today... she's just hugging me.

"Jasper?" she nudges me with her shoulder. I feel her amusement, and wonder why it's there.

"Hmm?" I keep my breathing to a minimum, trying to avoid another near-death incident.

"Normal people would hug back now."

I chuckle. "Of course." I wrap my arms around her waist.

When we let go, she's smiling in the most beautiful way, with just the corners of her mouth turned up, and her eyes shining like liquid chocolate. I can't help but smile back, and wonder how any man, no matter how strong his will is, could ever leave this amazing woman.

"So, I have to get to work. Thank you so much for bringing me my keys. Seriously, you're a life saver," she says. I can't help but laugh at that last sentence.

"Life saver? Bella, really?" I ask, shooting her a disproving look. She giggles, and gets up to gather her things.

"Sorry," she laughs over her shoulder. "You know what I meant, though. Thank you."

"You're welcome. So, I was wondering," I start as I move to the door.

"Hm?" She walks to the kitchen, and I hear the jingling of keys. "I'm listening."

"I was wondering if, maybe, you'd want to have coffee sometime?" I nervously run my fingers through my hair. She comes back around the corner, purse in one hand keys in the other, and that small, beautiful smile on her lips.

"Of course," she answers. I grin, and open the door for her. "Thank you. How about tomorrow? I work, but I get off at 3. We could turn it into lunch, if that's okay with you?"

"That will be perfect," I reply as she gets into her old, beat up truck. "I'll meet you here, around 4. Sound good?"

"Great. See you then," she sings, before pulling out of the driveway, and heading off to work.

I sigh. _I have a date with Bella Swan, _I think happily.

Soooo, yup. There it is :) Never really written from a male POV, so let me know how it turned out? Thanks! Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed my first chapter. You all gave me the confidence to try this 3 Sorry this chapter was on the shorter side. I tried for 8 pages (like the first chapter was) but it just couldn't make it. But that's ok, 5 ½ is close enough.

I would love you all even more is in your review, you could send me talking verbs (said, replied, and whispered just aren't doing it for me anymore :P) Thank you bunches, hope this was worth the wait, and please please please tell me what you thought. Lovelovelove 3 3


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